jeff gorton

Gorton

With Derek Stepan signed, the Rangers don’t have much left to do this offseason. All their key bodies are signed, the roster is filled out, and the only thing remaining is proper training camp evaluation. In the one month since he has taken over, Gorton has made one trade and 15 signings. Let’s break them down in chronological order.

Conor Allen (was not offered QO) – This is a move that seemed to surprise a lot of people, but when you take a step back and look at the full picture, it made sense. The Rangers needed to make room for younger prospects like Calle Andersson, and the 25-year-old Allen just wasn’t doing enough to show he belonged. He may be a tweener, but he’s good enough that he should be given a look by a team that is short on defense.

Trade for Magnus Hellberg – Gorton sent a 2016 6th round pick to Nashville for the goaltender, who will likely serve as the starter in Hartford when the season starts. Mackenzie Skapski (hip) and Cedrick Desjardins (knee) will both miss the start of the year. Hellberg is young, and will be working with Benoit Allaire. It’s never a bad thing to have options.

Signed Brian Gibbons, Jayson Megna, Luke Adam, and Matt Lindblad – These are three depth signings for Hartford. I doubt these guys play any role at the NHL level, but needed signings nonetheless.

Signed Raphael Diaz (1 yr, $700k) – This is and under appreciated signing. Diaz will be the 7D this year, even if Brady Skjei or Dylan McIlrath outplay him in camp (no point in having kids sit in the press box). He is a silently strong puck mover who makes the simple plays in the zone to turn the play up the ice. He’s a righty version of Matt Hunwick. If the Rangers decide to move Kevin Klein, and one of the kids falters, then Diaz will be just fine.

Signed Viktor Stalberg (1 year, $1.1 million) – Another under appreciated signing, Stalberg will be a bottom-six guy. Depending on where he plays, his role will change. If he’s on the fourth line, he will get defensive zone starts and be used to shutdown the opposition. If he’s on the third line, he will get more offensive zone starts and contribute offensively. He’s versatile enough to handle both roles. He will be more Lee Stempniak than Benoit Pouliot, so don’t expect huge numbers.

Signed Brandon Halverson to his ELC – Not surprising. His contract will slide this year too. Probably wanted to lock him up now in case he has another monster year in juniors.

Signed Emerson Etem and J.T. Miller to QOs – This was very surprising for both players. It’s smart for all parties, but still surprising. From the team perspective, the Rangers saved about $300k in cap space combined on these two, which goes a long way for a team right up on the cap ceiling. The kids are also in a “show me” deal, and should motivate them a bit.

Signed Dylan McIlrath (1 yr, $600k)) and Mat Bodie (1 yr, $575k) – McIlrath will get a legit shot this year, and his one year (one-way, so he gets paid no matter what) deal shows that the Rangers are at the point of no return with him. Bodie likely won’t see much NHL time, as he’s likely the 9D at this point.

Signed Oscar Lindberg (2 yrs, $650k) – This is also a one-way deal, so Lindberg will get paid either way. The last spot on the roster is his to lose at this point. He will be on the roster when camp breaks.

Signed Jesper Fast (2 yrs, $950k) – A bargain deal for Fast. He will probably slot in at 4RW and get the shutdown minutes at even strength and replace Carl Hagelin on the top penalty kill unit. Kid is quietly very good.

Signed Derek Stepan (6 years, $39 million) – Stepan was pegged by most to get $7 million a year. We had him at six years, $6.6 million, which was up from $6 million at the beginning of the offseason. Ryan O’Reilly’s deal made us re-evaluate. That is a bargain deal for Stepan, who will outperform his contract, and will be just 31 when it expires.

There are still some questions, like what to do with Kevin Klein should one of McIlrath or Skjei force their way on to the roster. Personally, I think not dealing Klein at the draft was a mistake, but that’s on Glen Sather, not Gorton. It wouldn’t shock me to see Klein get dealt before the season starts, but holding on to him too long could be the wrong move.

Overall, I give Gorton an A-. Not dealing Klein or Glass prevents him from getting the perfect score.

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